BEHIND THE MYTH OF THREE MILLION By Dr. M. Abdul Mu’min Chowdhury Book Published by Hamidur Rahman AL-HILAL PUBLISHERS LTD London eBook Published by www.storyofbangladesh.com CONTENTS The author, Dr. M. Abdul Mu'min Chowdhury, a native of Sylhet, was educated at the universities of Dhaka, 1 Preface 1 Exeter (England) and London. As a teacher of Sociology, he taught in his early 2 Chapter One 5 career at the universities of Agriculture The Making of the Myth (East Pakistan) and Dhaka during the period of 1967 to 1973. 3 Chapter Two 14 The Probity of the Myth Apart from his working association with Dr. Hasan Zaman at the Bureau of 4 Chapter Three 23 National Reconstruction (BNR), Dhaka, in Mujib’s Search for Fact late 1960s for undertaking many research works, he continued to write for many 5 Chapter Four 28 newspapers and also edited a few The Truth that Mujib Suppressed published from Dhaka and London. 6 Chapter Five 32 He co-authored some periodicals and The Recycling of the Myth books including the Iron Bars of Freedom (1981) published from London during the 7 Chapter Six 47 period from mid 1970s and early 1980s The Forgotten Humanity with the late Dr. Matiur Rahman who himself authored a number of books on the 8 Chapter Seven 56 political history of the Indian subcontinent The Glimpses of Truth until his demise in London In 1982. 9 Chapter Eight 60 Since late 1973, Dr. Chowdhury lives in Behind the Myth England and works currently as a Management Consultant. Behind the Myth of Three million by M. Abdul Mu'min Chowdhury Behind the Myth of Three million by M. Abdul Mu'min Chowdhury PREFACE power, the dwindling band of the conscious keepers of the ‘Bengali spirit of liberation’ have continued their efforts to keep the myth alive through a more vociferous recital. Many myths have been formed around the creation of Bangladesh. Among them is the fiction that the defeated Pakistan Army savagely Yet, over the years, questioning voices were heard. These were not killed three million people and raped three hundred thousand women from the much maligned ‘pro-Pakistanis’ alone, but also from among during their less than nine months unsuccessful fight to preserve the the unimpeachable ‘liberationists’ and their ‘Indian comrades’, integrity of a united Pakistan. including the highest Indian most generals who gave Bangladesh its ‘Caesarean birth’. Some of the latter have, of course, their own fiction Recalling this 'heinous' Pakistani crime with suave moral indignation to sell. was made into a national ritual. Not only the beaten Pakistan Army but also the subverted Pakistan came to be portrayed as inherently evil and Curiously, those in Pakistan have remained indolent. There was no her dismemberment a triumph of civilized values over barbarism. No attempt to refute any of the vile accusations, including this very less a figure than the 'Father of the Nation' was made to consecrate the loathsome charge. Instead, there appeared to be a misplaced hope that lore. With his stamp of authority behind it, his grateful children were apologetic smile to any and every charge would help in taking the heat implicitly compelled into faithfully repeating it. Not to accept it as 'the out and once sobriety was restored and goodwill regenerated, the time whole truth, nothing but the truth' with unquestioning faith was to fall would arrive for the truth to come out. Despite its many attractions, short of being a ‘Bengali patriot’. In those hallucinatory days of such a stand back posture has helped in perpetuating the falsehood and ‘liberated’ Bangladesh, the premium for such a terrible shortcoming possibly retarding the restoration of the brotherly relationship between was not merely dear, but potentially fatal. The ‘permanent the peoples of Pakistan and Bangladesh. [2] For the intention of the disappearance’ of Zahir Raihan, the celebrated writer and film director, mythmakers was to harbour hatred. who showed the audacity of forming and heading 'The Buddhijibi Nidhan Tayithanusandhan Committee' (The Fact Finding Committee on In order to create a healthy relationship between the two peoples it is the Killing of Intellectuals), in January 1972 [1] was a calculated essential to admit, and where possible to take measures to amend, all warning to all doubting Bangladeshis. Understandably, the sceptics past mistakes committed by either people and their leaders. However, it kept quiet and the scoundrels and the credulous joined the chorus is imperative that such steps should be taken on both sides with fidelity masters in singing the saga of three million ‘martyrs’ and three hundred to truth and not on opportunism or contrived facts and unfounded thousand ‘heroines’. myths. Like many other myths of its kind, the fiction of three million dead and Once the ‘Father of the Nation’ had fallen into disrepute and even came three hundred thousand women raped was not politically innocent; and to be accused of treachery to the Bangladeshi nation’, some of the it is time to recognise this both in Pakistan and in Bangladesh. Not to deified artefacts adorning the liberationist altar came to be seen as do so would be a disservice to truth and damaging to the interest of the mendacious. But not this nor any other Pakistani crime; at least not people of both countries, especially the people of Bangladesh. This officially. The successive masters of Bangladesh have shown no would be so, for any further credence to such a poisonous myth would interest in exonerating Pakistan from any charges, however undeserved perpetuate the psychic isolation and the splintered Muslim self-view of they might have been. Instead, by keeping them alive they skilfully the people of Bangladesh in their geopolitically island-like setting. This played politics by veering on the sides of the accused and the accuser would not serve their enlightened national self-interest, nor their all at once. Alongside the dubious opportunism of the occupants of independence. Instead, this would help those in and outside their 1 2 Behind the Myth of Three million by M. Abdul Mu'min Chowdhury Behind the Myth of Three million by M. Abdul Mu'min Chowdhury country who wish to do away with their very existence as a Muslim and other friends. However, saliently and sincerely I acknowledge their nation. debt and pray for their continued well-being. BEHIND THE MYTH OF THREE MILLION is a re-examination February, 1996 (Dr. M. Abdul Mu’min Chowdhury) of a sad chapter in the relationship of the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh and exposes its utterly contrived nature as well as the motive behind such inventiveness. I am one of those whose family were reported among the casualties of Pakistan Army's action in Dhaka on the night of 26 March 1971. Some of my personal friends within the 'liberationist' camp even had a condolence meeting for me in their Indian safe heaven! I am not alone in having been counted as dead. NOTES AND REFERENCES Countless other people could tell a similar story of their own. Some have even found their names engraved in the commemorative plaques 1. Zahir Raihan was a Marxist who was said to have been solemnly dedicated in memory of the fallen heroes of the Bangladesh disillusioned while in Calcutta and did not believe that the 'intellectuals' War. [3] Being one of many such ‘reincarnated’ beings, I feel duty found murdered in Dhaka on the eve of 16 December 1971- who bound to help remove the myth which is of no service either to my included his elder brother Shahidullah Kaiser- could have been killed at fellow countrymen or to history. Yet, mindful of the requirement of the behest of the Pakistan Army as has been alleged. The rumour has it objectivity I have chosen to confine myself to published works and that he also had incriminatory photographs of questionable activities of recorded sources and have analysed them with the utmost fidelity to the the Awami League leaders in India. While gathering information about truth. The ultimate judgement lies with the reader and it is my hope that the killing he was kidnapped in Dhaka in broad day light and was never they would find the pages that follow both interesting and informative. seen again. There is no doubt that he was killed by either those who were at risk of being exposed or those who did not like the truth behind In putting facts over fiction, I risk ruffling the feathers of those who for the killing of the intellectuals to come out. all manner of reasons have allowed themselves to be beguiled. Even if a few of them start considering the facts and begin rethinking their 2. For a cogent argument on this point cf. Syed Sajjad Husain, The position, I shall consider my efforts worth-while. For those who in their Wastes of Time: Reflections on the Decline and Fall of East Pakistan, blinkered disposition refuse to distinguish facts from fiction and Notun Safar Prokashani, 44 Purana Paltan, Dhaka -1000, 1995: 265-84 continue to follow the pied pipers of the 'spirit of liberation' fame, who have - to my mind and I hope many would agree with me - no better 3. Jauhuri, Tirish Lakher Telesmat (The Riddle of Thirty Lakh), function other than leading the Muslim Nation of Bangladesh towards Asha Prokashani, 435 Elephant Road, Dhaka -1217, 1994: 74 its national suicide, I can only pray for divine guidance. A friend has helped me with source materials and other friends have joined him in encouraging me for a quick completion of the work. All of them have done so, I am sure, out of friendship and not for credit.